Elric of Melniboné
Michael Moorcock · 1972
The doomed albino emperor who draws power from a soul-eating sword is the anti-Conan and the godfather of dark fantasy. Moorcock's Eternal Champion concept and his multiverse gave fantasy its first genuinely philosophical underpinning.
The case against
Moorcock wrote these books at a famous clip, days apiece, and it reads that way: pulp velocity, the nearest adjective grabbed, supporting characters issued one trait each. Elric's brooding is operatic the first time and adolescent the fifth. The multiverse scaffolding promises philosophy and mostly delivers mood. Expect a short lurid rush: atmosphere, doom, and very little under the floorboards.
Science Fiction & Fantasy · the Pro canon
The case for it and the rest of the canon open with Pro.